Because I am *refusing* to be the person who all the small children are thrust upon. The last few years (because I'm 'so good with the kids!' ugh) anyone under 13 has been directed to where I am trying to read or work on my computer to be entertained while their parents get rip-roaring drunk outside in the function area of my parents' house.

No.

This year I have BabyDrifter to deal with and she's teething, so she's not sleeping much at all. I will not be responsible for everyone else's kids, too.

(If I had things entirely my way we wouldn't even be going to my parents' NYE party, but a cousin of mine who I love dearly is in town for the first time in 7 years and will be there, it'll be one of our few chances to catch up and he doesn't drink much, so I think we'll end up sitting somewhere quiet, me with BabyDrifter in her carrier attached to me, and chatting while the other adults deal with the over excited children waving glow sticks and sparklers around).

I'm interested to see how this goes for you (I, fortunately, have never had this happen to me; the last time I was good with kids was when I was 15 years old and worked as a camp counselor -- now that I think about it, I was "stuck" with the very young children every week we had a trip to an amusement park because I was "good with the young kids," which really chapped my hide since I once was assigned 9-10 campers to watch in a big amusement park by myself when we usually didn't have more than 6-7 per group).

Can we put together some sort of Early Warning System, by which 6 weeks before the celebration in question next year, we get an email saying 'remember what happened last year and start planning the escape now'?

I hereby swear that next Christmas I am not offering to organise/cater/host ANY family event other than Christmas Day, and that will be for my own nuclear family. Anybody who wants anything else from me will have to ask, out loud, in words, not by assumptions and guesswork, and if they do, then we're doing whatever it is the way I want, and we aren't changing the arrangements seventeen times including once after all the shops have shut and there isn't time to rework anything.

Yes, NYE does count: we're having a takeaway and a family evening at home and no visitors at all! I don't care who gives me the puppy dog eyes, I'm done for what's left of this year. If you wanted me to put together yet another family shindig, you should have said. If you wanted to see me on NYE, you should have invited me, not assumed that I would be organising something.

If I had control over the weather my hill to die on would be there would be a gully washer of a rain every night from sundown to sunup between now and Jan 7th when the kids go back to school. I hate drunk irresponsible idiots setting off fireworks!

Can we put together some sort of Early Warning System, by which 6 weeks before the celebration in question next year, we get an email saying 'remember what happened last year and start planning the escape now'?

I hereby swear that next Christmas I am not offering to organise/cater/host ANY family event other than Christmas Day, and that will be for my own nuclear family. Anybody who wants anything else from me will have to ask, out loud, in words, not by assumptions and guesswork, and if they do, then we're doing whatever it is the way I want, and we aren't changing the arrangements seventeen times including once after all the shops have shut and there isn't time to rework anything.

Yes, NYE does count: we're having a takeaway and a family evening at home and no visitors at all! I don't care who gives me the puppy dog eyes, I'm done for what's left of this year. If you wanted me to put together yet another family shindig, you should have said. If you wanted to see me on NYE, you should have invited me, not assumed that I would be organising something.

If that sort of email would help, there are a variety of options. Googling on "email later" got me a few free services that will send an email at a specified later date, two gmail extensions, and instructions on doing this in Windows Live mail. That was just on the first screen.

Logged

Any advice that requires the use of a time machine may safely be ignored.

Can we put together some sort of Early Warning System, by which 6 weeks before the celebration in question next year, we get an email saying 'remember what happened last year and start planning the escape now'?

I hereby swear that next Christmas I am not offering to organise/cater/host ANY family event other than Christmas Day, and that will be for my own nuclear family. Anybody who wants anything else from me will have to ask, out loud, in words, not by assumptions and guesswork, and if they do, then we're doing whatever it is the way I want, and we aren't changing the arrangements seventeen times including once after all the shops have shut and there isn't time to rework anything.

Yes, NYE does count: we're having a takeaway and a family evening at home and no visitors at all! I don't care who gives me the puppy dog eyes, I'm done for what's left of this year. If you wanted me to put together yet another family shindig, you should have said. If you wanted to see me on NYE, you should have invited me, not assumed that I would be organising something.

Add it to whatever calendar is attached to your email account, or make a private facebook event.

Can we put together some sort of Early Warning System, by which 6 weeks before the celebration in question next year, we get an email saying 'remember what happened last year and start planning the escape now'?

I hereby swear that next Christmas I am not offering to organise/cater/host ANY family event other than Christmas Day, and that will be for my own nuclear family. Anybody who wants anything else from me will have to ask, out loud, in words, not by assumptions and guesswork, and if they do, then we're doing whatever it is the way I want, and we aren't changing the arrangements seventeen times including once after all the shops have shut and there isn't time to rework anything.

Yes, NYE does count: we're having a takeaway and a family evening at home and no visitors at all! I don't care who gives me the puppy dog eyes, I'm done for what's left of this year. If you wanted me to put together yet another family shindig, you should have said. If you wanted to see me on NYE, you should have invited me, not assumed that I would be organising something.

I so agree with your plans for NYE. Unfortunately, I took a nap today and woke up to the news that DS had called asking for babysitting for NYE. I love DGD, but I wish DH had given me at least the illusion of having a say in the decision making process.

I pointed out that I would never have agreed without talking to him and DH agreed that was true; however, "you were asleep, so I had to make the decision." GRRRR....

Gmatoy, I was going to say something snarky about your DH doing the watching since he volunteered and all <insert eye roll here>, but I totally understand about you loving DGD and spending time with her. (I spent 10 hours today with 2 of mine). So much fun.

Can we put together some sort of Early Warning System, by which 6 weeks before the celebration in question next year, we get an email saying 'remember what happened last year and start planning the escape now'?

I hereby swear that next Christmas I am not offering to organise/cater/host ANY family event other than Christmas Day, and that will be for my own nuclear family. Anybody who wants anything else from me will have to ask, out loud, in words, not by assumptions and guesswork, and if they do, then we're doing whatever it is the way I want, and we aren't changing the arrangements seventeen times including once after all the shops have shut and there isn't time to rework anything.

Yes, NYE does count: we're having a takeaway and a family evening at home and no visitors at all! I don't care who gives me the puppy dog eyes, I'm done for what's left of this year. If you wanted me to put together yet another family shindig, you should have said. If you wanted to see me on NYE, you should have invited me, not assumed that I would be organising something.

I so agree with your plans for NYE. Unfortunately, I took a nap today and woke up to the news that DS had called asking for babysitting for NYE. I love DGD, but I wish DH had given me at least the illusion of having a say in the decision making process.

I pointed out that I would never have agreed without talking to him and DH agreed that was true; however, "you were asleep, so I had to make the decision." GRRRR....

So what will you be doing while DH is babysitting?

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What part of v_e = \sqrt{\frac{2GM}{r}} don't you understand? It's only rocket science!

"The problem with re-examining your brilliant ideas is that more often than not, you discover they are the intellectual equivalent of saying, 'Hold my beer and watch this!'" - Cindy Couture

I know I can set up my own personal reminders - I was thinking more that I can't be the only person who could do with an expressly EHell message of 'don't do it - you know it doesn't end well!'

In actual fact I use Evernote, and I have an entire folder full of checklists and plans. I just need to be reminded in November that certain of my relatives couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery and that I've promised myself that this is the last year I'm picking up the slack.

I agree with Jedikaiti - what's Gmatoy doing while Mr Gmatoy is babysitting?

I know I can set up my own personal reminders - I was thinking more that I can't be the only person who could do with an expressly EHell message of 'don't do it - you know it doesn't end well!'

In actual fact I use Evernote, and I have an entire folder full of checklists and plans. I just need to be reminded in November that certain of my relatives couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery and that I've promised myself that this is the last year I'm picking up the slack.

I agree with Jedikaiti - what's Gmatoy doing while Mr Gmatoy is babysitting?

She can play with the baby till she wants to do other things. Mr. G is responsible for feeding, diaper changes, when Gmatoy decides she's done with baby and tantrums. *g*

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If wisdom’s ways you wisely seek,Five things observe with care,To whom you speak,Of whom you speak,And how, and when, and where.Caroline Lake Ingalls

The Sweetie decided last minute that she wanted to invite people over for New Year's Day. I told her "Okay. If you want it, you organize it. I'll prepare food."

She put together a nice Facebook invitation for "Ms_Cellany and The Sweetie's Last-Minute New Year's Day Schindig" (I love her - she can't spell).

Thanks to FlyLady, the house is pretty clean to start with, but we backslid over December, so with an hour a night, it's back in order.

Then she wanted black-eyed peas. I looked at recipes and timing, and decided our best bet was to fix them day in advance. So at 10:30, I said, "So we need to go to the store now if you want them." So we did, with a tune & counterpoint of "I love you enough to drive you to the store in the middle of the night to get beans!" "I love YOU enough to go to the store in the middle of the night, get beans, and prep them when we get home!"

Store closes at 11. "Okay; I know where the salt pork is. You get the beans. Meet you at the register."

On Facebook, we have several refusals (illness, previous plans, cat allergies) and 5 maybes. If nothing else, we'll have a clean house & lots of freezable food!

ETA that I guess I'm not dying on any hills here, but I'm sure delegating on one.

I pointed out that I would never have agreed without talking to him and DH agreed that was true; however, "you were asleep, so I had to make the decision." GRRRR....

For some reason I just keep thinking that sounds like a panic situation. "Can you guys watch the baby tonight?", "Er, um, oh gee, your mom's asleep right now can I call you back-", "Dad! There is no time for that! Yes or no! You have to make the call right now! Yes or no!!", "Oh, well, uh, yes, yes I guess!".

My hill to die on is that I will not do the 2 City Family Visit (KC and Omaha) for Xmas more than every other year, and that 2013 is both the first and last year the move from one city to the other will happen on Xmas Day.

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What part of v_e = \sqrt{\frac{2GM}{r}} don't you understand? It's only rocket science!

"The problem with re-examining your brilliant ideas is that more often than not, you discover they are the intellectual equivalent of saying, 'Hold my beer and watch this!'" - Cindy Couture

I think it counts, and I think we should go even farther with it. Valentine's Day is coming up soon...any "hills to die on" for that? Or Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, Independence Day (or, if you don't live in the USA, whatever summer holiday might be relevant)?

It might sound funny, but I'm being serious here. This thread would be good for all those "holiday hills" if people want to use it that way. Even for birthdays and such if need be.